Ayurvedic Recipes

I made this delicious soup for Christmas Eve supper with our guests--Joy, Hakim and Jojo. It was well appreciated by all. Jojo is a picky eater. But she liked the soup so much that she fed herself--using a soup spoon for the first time! The original recipe suggests using two sugar pumpkins, but you can use whatever you have. In fact you could use butternut squash instead of pumpkin. I used the medium pumpkin pictured below.

Ingredients

1 medium pumpkin or 2 sugar pumpkins (3 cups pumpkin puree)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp mace

1/4 tsp allspice

2 pinches nutmeg

1 tsp dry ginger

Salt and black pepper to taste

Cow, goat or vegan yogurt as desired (for garnish)

Method

Preheat oven to 400' F

Place pumpkin/s on baking sheet in oven and bake until soft.

Cut in half and remove seeds.

To a large saucepan over medium heat add 1 Tbsp olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.

Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer.

Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Pour mixture back into pot.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve with a garnish of yoghurt.

Adapted from http://minimalistbaker.com/simple-pumpkin-soup/

Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Ayurveda, literally translated as the “science of life,” is the ancient Indian art of physical, mental, and emotional healing. Based on harmonizing the natural elements within and around us, Ayurvedic medicine is a time-tested system of holistic health that is highly specific to each unique individual. Ayurvedic treatments include delicious foods, medicinal herbs, massage, yoga, meditation, and other simple lifestyle changes that work to restore your body to its innate, healthy balance. LEARN MORE